Laoye Mountain Revolutionary Battle Site

　　Laoye Mountain Revolutionary Battle Site (First Batch Provincial-Level Protected Site)

　　Era: 1945

　　Location: Laoye Mountain, Shanglian Township, Tunliu County

　　In 1945, the main battlefield of the renowned "Shangdang Campaign" took place here. A total of over 22,000 enemy reinforcements were annihilated or captured. This played a decisive role in the ultimate victory of the Shangdang Campaign, thus marking the prelude to the Liberation War.

　　Originally, there were eight temples on the mountain dating from the Tang to the Qing dynasties, with 137 rooms, all destroyed in the war. Now, apart from some remaining foundations (with fragmented walls repurposed for other uses), only one Lotus Stupa remains, riddled with bullet holes, serving as an important symbol of the "Shangdang Campaign."

　　It is a key cultural relic protection unit of Shanxi Province. Laoye Mountain gained fame both domestically and internationally as the main battlefield of the Shangdang Campaign. The site is renowned for its majestic historical significance and solemn revolutionary legacy.

　　 Laoye Mountain, originally named Sānjiùjiàn (三嵕山), is located about 15 kilometers southwest of Tunliu County and falls under the jurisdiction of Shanglian Township. It lies between 36.27 degrees north latitude and 113.46 degrees east longitude. To the east, it borders the Bajin Railway and Jintai Highway, which lead directly to Taiyuan; to the south, it overlooks the ancient town of Yuwu, once a strategic hub of the "Three Jin" region; to the north, it neighbors Xiangyuan County, where the sounds of chickens and dogs can be heard; and to the west, it nestles against towering mountains, making it a true geomantic treasure land. The mountain features three peaks standing like tripods: one called Línshān (麟山, Qilin Mountain), one called Língshān (灵山, Spirit Mountain), and one called Xúlíngshān (徐陵山). Since multiple peaks standing together are referred to as “嵕,” and these three peaks stand prominently, it is called Sānjiùjiàn (三嵕山). Locals commonly refer to all deities as "lords" or "old masters," and since the mountain has many temples dedicated to various gods, it is commonly known as Laoye Mountain ("Old Master Mountain"). Its main peak is to the east — Línshān. The Sānjiùjiàn East Temple (also known as the Eastern Peak Temple) is situated atop it, with an elevation of 1,266 meters, making it the highest among the surrounding ridges. Therefore, Laoye Mountain is also called Línshān.

　　 During the Anti-Japanese War, the Eighth Route Army, county brigades, guerrilla units, and local militias, under the leadership of the Communist Party, used Laoye Mountain as a base to wage a long and indomitable struggle against the invaders. After Japan’s surrender, the site became the main battlefield of the Shangdang Campaign. In mid-to-late September 1945, after Liu Bocheng, Commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region, and his political commissar led troops to liberate the five counties of Xiangyuan, Tunliu, Lucheng, Huguan, and Zhangzi, they intercepted over 22,000 enemy reinforcements heading for Shangdang at Laoye Mountain in early October. These forces were led by Peng Yuping, commander of Yan Xishan’s Seventh Army Group, and Hu Sanyu, commander of the Artillery Corps, and comprised three armies and eight divisions. After four days and three nights of fierce battle, all enemies were annihilated or captured. This played a decisive role in securing the final victory of the Shangdang Campaign and stands as a glorious example of how our forces, despite being equipped with inferior weapons, defeated a better-equipped enemy and achieved complete victory against a numerically superior force.

　　 To this day, only one Lotus Stupa remains, with its bullet scars still clearly visible. The stupa is 13 meters tall and is a square nine-story dense-eave structure. To commemorate the revolutionary martyrs, in 1964, the Laoye Mountain Battle Site was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit. To honor their past heroic deeds, a memorial pavilion was erected in 1986, along with a memorial stele. The inscriptions recount the battle, the heroic acts of the revolutionaries, and the arduous journey they endured.

　　 In ancient times, Laoye Mountain was the setting for legendary tales of mythic proportions. The "Huainanzi" records: "Emperor Yao ordered Yi to shoot down the nine suns from Sānjiùjiàn." The mountain is thus associated with the divine archer Houyi and has been regarded as a sacred place. Due to the many heroic legends associated with Sānjiùjiàn, it was venerated during the Tang Dynasty, and temples were built in reverence, earning the title "Spiritual Blessing King" and leading to the construction of the Sānjiùjiàn Temples. Later dynasties continued to worship and maintain altars and shrines here.

　　 In ancient times, people believed that Sānjiùjiàn could bring good weather, blessings, and abundant harvests. Historical records state that every year during the first month of spring, officials would lead processions up the mountain to conduct grand sacrificial ceremonies. Local residents, officials, scholars, and children from nearby towns such as Qucun, Fanshi, Fanshi, Xigao, and Xinlu would all gather, praying for timely rains, peace, and prosperity. The mountain became a sacred site of great reverence. However, during wartime, many structures were destroyed, leaving few traces. On May 24, 1965, the Shanxi Provincial People's Government listed it as one of the first batch of key provincial cultural relic protection units.